Travel

Definitions

Best price of the day

• for airline bookings: the lowest fare offered at the time of booking, provided that this fare satisfies business requirements, as detailed in the best fare of the day guidelines on the Buying for Victoria website, and travel options identified in the Rules.
• for hotel bookings: the lowest rate available at suitable hotels at the destination location, with due consideration to factors such as proximity and access to transport. The travel approver will determine the most appropriate star rating, based on an assessment of government business requirements and total cost of travel for available hotels (room rate plus transportation costs)

Intra-state travel
Travel within Victoria, and within 100 kilometres over the Victorian border.

Inter-state travel
Travel outside intra-state travel, but within Australia, between Australia and New Zealand, and within New Zealand.

International travel
Travel to and within all destinations not included in ‘intra-state’ and ‘inter-state’ travel.

School-based staff
Staff, contractors or consultants delivering official business or travelling on school excursions, including:

• the teaching service, including principals
• other school-based staff
• school council members

Travel approver
Refers to a DET employee with the authority to approve travel for staff members.

Travel booker
Refers to a DET employee who regularly books travel on behalf of other staff.

Travel costs
Any costs, fees, allowances or expenses associated with, or incidental to, official government entities’ travel, including but not limited to air fares, accommodation, car rental expenses and travel bookings’ transaction fees.

Travel manager
A DET employee who is the policy owner, and responsible for procedural compliance, monitoring and data collation for reporting.

Travel registrar
The DET employee(s) responsible for procedural compliance, monitoring and data collation for reporting travel by corporate, portfolio entity or school-based staff.

Travel request authorisation (TRA)
A formal record of travel approval required for intra-state travel of more than 5 consecutive nights, and for all inter-state and international travel. TRAs for corporate and portfolio entity travellers are recorded in Ariba while TRAs for school-based travellers are recorded in SharePoint (login required).

Traveller
Any corporate, portfolio entity or school-based staff who undertakes government travel.